SBTi seeks Southeast Asia input on revised climate standard for forest, land and agriculture | News | Eco-Business | Asia Pacific

Nature & Climate Perspective

**Regional refinement of SBTi's FLAG standard is critical to incentivizing high-integrity land-based carbon removals and halting deforestation across Southeast Asian supply chains. **

• Tailoring land-use guidance ensures tropical ecosystem conservation and avoids biodiversity loss linked to agricultural expansion in vulnerable Southeast Asian biomes.
• Refined accounting for land-based removals improves the quantification of LULUCF carbon sinks, directly aligning with ICVCM Core Carbon Principles regarding permanence and robust monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV).
• Standardizing regional land management protects critical peatlands and forestry, safeguarding natural carbon reservoirs from premature reversal risks.

Market & Policy Outlook

**The consultation provides Southeast Asian corporate actors an opportunity to shape compliance baselines for Scope 3 emissions reduction and science-based net-zero pathways. **

• Localizing the FLAG standard bridges regional land-tenure complexities with global regulatory frameworks, supporting alignment with national Article 6.2 and 6.4 commitments.
• Clearer rules on land removals de-risk capital flows into high-integrity nature-based solutions, boosting financial liquidity and market demand for CCP-aligned carbon assets.
• Southeast Asian agricultural and forestry conglomerates gain clarity on meeting SBTi Scope 3 target requirements, bolstering international supply chain competitiveness and corporate compliance.